lanquins and other means of conveyance are
still borne on the shoulders of couriers, and it is not so long since
our ancestors made their calls in Sedan-chairs borne by sturdy porters.

Some of the letter-carriers of India make a daily journey of 30 miles.
They carry in one hand a stick, at the extremity of which is a ring
containing several little plates of iron, which, agitated during the
course, produce a loud noise designed to keep off ferocious beasts and
serpents. In the other hand they carry a wet cloth, with which they
frequently refresh themselves by wiping the countenance. It is said
that a regular Hindustanee carrier, with a weight of 80 pounds on his
shoulder,--carried, of course, in two divisions, hung on his neck by a
yoke,--will, if properly paid, lope along over 100 miles in twenty-four
hours--a feat which would exhaust any but the best trained runners.

The "go-as-you-please" pedestrians, whose powers during the past years
have been exhibited in this country and in England, have given us
marvelous examples of endurance, over 600 miles having been
accomplished in a six-days' contest. Hazael, the professional
pedestrian, has run over 450 miles in ninety-nine hours, and Albert has
traveled over 500 miles in one hundred and ten hours. Rowell, Hughes,
and Fitzgerald have astonishingly high records for long-distance
running, comparing favorably with the older, and presumably mythical,
feats of this nature. In California, C. A. Harriman of Truckee in
April, 1883, walked twenty-six hours without once resting, traversing
122 miles.

For the purpose of comparison we give the best modern records for
running:--

100 Yards.--9 3/5 seconds, made by Edward Donavan, at Natick, Mass.,
September 2, 1895.

220 Yards.--21 3/5 seconds, made by Harry Jewett, at Montreal,
September 24, 1892.

Quarter-Mile.--47 3/4 seconds, made by W. Baker, at Boston, Mass., July
1, 1886.

Half-Mile.--1 minute 53 2/3 seconds, made by C. J. Kirkpatrick, at
Manhattan Field, New York, September 21, 1895.

1 Mile.--4 minutes 12 3/4 seconds, made by W. G. George, at London,
England, August 23, 1886.

5 Miles.--24 minutes 40 seconds, made by J. White, in England, May 11,
1863.

10 Miles.--51 minutes 6 3/5 seconds, made by William Cummings, at
London, England, September 18,1895.

25 Miles.--2 hours 33 minutes 44 seconds, made by G. A. Dunning, at
London, England, December 26, 1881.

50 Miles.--5 hours 55 minutes 4 1/2 seconds, made